Fence-post.



W. B. HUGHES.

FENGBPOST.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 190,9.

943,550. Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

FFT@- VALLACE B. HUGHES, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

FENCE-POST.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVALLACE B. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fence posts and it has more particular reference to a fence post constructed of wire fabric.

The present fence post is intended as a substitute for wooden fence posts in those parts of the country where timber is scarce and also as a substitute for concrete fence posts, which latter are not only more or less intrinsically expensive but are rendered further so by reason of high freight charges for transportation for any material distance.

The object of the invention is to provide a felice post which shall be a self-contained unit and which may be manufactured at a minimum expense. Toward this end the structure comprises more particularly a fence post which is made up of wire fence fabric of known form and the resultant product is inexpensive, light and stronO.

The invention aims as a further object to provide a fence post of the type stated which may be used in connection with a wire fence of any desired gage and in which no special parts are necessary to provide for the attachment of the fence fabric to the post, one of the strands of the fence fabric resting upon the projecting portion of a horizontal band of the post and a key being provided to lock the post and the fabric together.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a fence post constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view thereof.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding` parts throughout the several views.

The present fence post may be advantageously constructed of wire fence fabric of known construction and which. comprises vertical stay bars, as 5, and horizontal bars, as G. The bars 6 in the construction of the present fence post are bent into the form of continuous bands which are preferably of triangular outline and the bars 5 are attached to the side portions of the bands 6 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application iiled April 16, 1909.

Patented Dec. ist, 15h29.

serial No. 490,417.

in any suitable manner, as by welding. The contiguous ends of the bands G are likewise welded together. For the purpose of making a finished joint, the bars 5 at their upper and lower ends are provided with eyes, as 7, through which the upper and lower bands 6 pass, a rigid connection being had by welding the parts together. Each band 6, by virtue of its straight sided form, has a plurality of apices, as S, which project through the spaces between a pair of adjacent bars 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The several series of apices 8 are in vertical alinement and form in effect loops. The fence fabric is indicated generally by the numeral l() and includes horizontal wires, as ll, which are connected by vertical stay wires, as l2.

In assembling the fence fabric upon the posts, the wires 1l are positioned against a pair of adjacent bars 5 on each side of a se ries of alined loops 8, the latter projecting beyond the fence fabric, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Obviously, irrespective of the gage of the fence fabric, one of the wires Il. will rest upon one of the loops S and in this manner the fence fabric will be suspended from the post. In Fig. 2 the upper wire 1l is shown as resting upon a second loop 8. lVhen the fence fabric has been thus positioned with relation to the post, it is positively secured by a key, as 13, which is in the nature of a straight wire shank and which is inserted through the several alined loops 8 and over the wires 11. The fence is thereby retained against displacement from the post. The key 13 is formed at its upper end with an eye, as 14, which is engaged over the loop 8 of the upper band (l in such manner that accidental displacement of the key is rendered impossible and in order to remove the same the use of toolsI will be necessary.

The lower portion of the fence post may be set into a suitable base which may be of any desired material, as for example, concrete or wood. This may be done at the place where the fence is being installed and it is not essential that the base be shipped with the post. Or, if desired, the lower portion of the fence post is of suiiicient strength to constitute of itself an eiiicient base and maybe set directly into the ground without the use of wood, cement or other reinforcing material.

It will be obvious that the present post has many advantages over the solid posts ordinarily employed. In the first place, it is exceedingly light and consequently it may be cheaply transported by freight. In the second place, it is very strong and offers practically no resistance to the wind. It is, therefore, not liable to be blown down oi' otherwise moved during heavy storms. In the third place, it may be manufactured at a minimum expense for two reasons, the lii'st being that it is made from fence fabric of known and inexpensive construction and the second being that no special loops or fastening devices are required for the attachment of the post to the fence, the apices 8 in their particular relation to the adjacent bars 5 serving efficiently for this purpose and being employed in coperatioii with a retaining key which comprises simply a straight section of wire.

I am aware that it is well known in the art of fence construction to secure fence fabric to a post by means of loops on the post which project through the fabric and which receive a retaining key. In such cases, however, the loops are of special formation and project at one side only from the corner of the post., In the present device the fence fabric may be secured to any desired series of loops and thus renders the post of particular advantage for use at corners where one fence extends atan angle to another, it being understood that one fence is secured to one series of loops 8 and that the other fence is secured to an adjacent series of loops S.

F or convenience and clearness of illustration, the fence has been shown of such gage that only one of its horizontal strands 1s supported upon a projecting loop of the 40 post. Obviously and preferably, the gage of the fence and of the post may be nearly the same in order that some of the strands of the fence may have support upon the corresponding loops of the post while the balfrom the top and also preventing the fence from being raised from the ground.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

A fence post constructed of wire fabric comprising horizontal wires and vertical stay wires, the horizontal wires being bent into the form of continuous uninterrupted bands, each having' its adjacent ends secured together, said bands having straight sidedf/ portions and curved apices, the stay Wires 60 intersecting the straight sided portions and being secured thereto, the apices being without stay wires and being arranged in vertically alined series and projecting in the form of loops through the spaces between c5 the adjacent stay wires on each side thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVALLi/ICE B. HUGHES.

IVitiiesses J. PETER SMITH, M. L. CRAWFORD, Jr. 

